CCTV directly into our garden?

[pinkcandy]

Hello,

I’m after a bit of advice (and just to moan really….)

We live on a new build estate but are extremely lucky not to be overlooked by anyone even though all the houses are on top of each other, we only have a nice sized small garden and one of ours neighbours who parks their car at the end of our garden (on their drive) has stuck a security camera on the side of their house which directly looks into the whole of our back garden and directly into our kitchen/patio doors/upstairs office & bathroom.

The camera is placed up really high on the side of their house so wherever I am in the back of the house or the garden I can see the camera. It’s really, really bothering me. I’ve shut all blinds and curtains cos I can’t look at it. We don’t do anything illegal or weird But omg I feel like I’m on big brother! I feel like I can’t sit out in the garden anymore, I know he’s not gonna be sat watching it or anything like that and he certainly hasn’t put it up for any malicious reason and we get on really well, but he never asked if he could point it directly on our property. I do like security cameras, nothing against them at all, I have a ring doorbell, but this a step to far in my eyes.

So when he gets home I’m going to go round and ask to see the footage, it might be a case of he’s blocked out our house? I don’t know…but it’s kept me awake all night and I feel really uncomfortable and uneasy about it.

Am I just being dramatic? Or is this illegal? What would you do?

[SMAX]

Yes it is illegal. CCTV must not view anything outside of your own property. It must not invade the privacy of other houses. i.e. their land.

[Colette-S]

Did they tell you that they were installing it? Did you give consent?
I would ask them to remove or adjust the camera so it doesn’t cover your property, they are not allowed to cover your land without your consent. You can also ask them to destroy any previous footage

[Chilli-pepper]

This might help in terms of what both you and they can do.

ico.uk/your-data-matters...le-using-cctv/

[Ilovedisney]

Hi

No advice, sorry but I would feel the same as you.

Maybe they haven't given it a thought and will be very apologetic or ( and I have a suspicious mind) they know exactly what they are doing!

I would go and say something and tell them it is making you uncomfortable and you would like them to place it somewhere more appropriate.

Let us know what they say.

Good luck.

[Disney Bear]

Smax is correct. But I would add - how do you know it is looking into your garden? We have a camera looking at our drive - it up high and could over look the public road and neighbours drive but we have restricted it and so it only looks at our property. No one would know we have done that but if a neighbour had an issue we would happily show them online that it can only see our property.

[pinkcandy]

Originally Posted by SMAX

Yes it is illegal. CCTV must not view anything outside of your own property. It must not invade the privacy of other houses. i.e. their land.

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Thank you so much!

Originally Posted by Colette-S

Did they tell you that they were installing it? Did you give consent?
I would ask them to remove or adjust the camera so it doesn’t cover your property, they are not allowed to cover your land without your consent. You can also ask them to destroy any previous footage

See more...

Brilliant thank you, no they never asked us, it just popped up yesterday evening.

Originally Posted by Chilli-pepper

This might help in terms of what both you and they can do.

Lovely, thank you!

ico.uk/your-data-matters...le-using-cctv/

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Originally Posted by Ilovedisney

Hi

No advice, sorry but I would feel the same as you.

Maybe they haven't given it a thought and will be very apologetic or ( and I have a suspicious mind) they know exactly what they are doing!

I would go and say something and tell them it is making you uncomfortable and you would like them to place it somewhere more appropriate.

Let us know what they say.

Good luck.

See more...

I will do thank you!

Originally Posted by Disney Bear

Smax is correct. But I would add - how do you know it is looking into your garden? We have a camera looking at our drive - it up high and could over look the public road and neighbours drive but we have restricted it and so it only looks at our property. No one would know we have done that but if a neighbour had an issue we would happily show them online that it can only see our property.

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I don’t know for sure until I go round tonight when he’s home, but it’s so intrusive, we only have a small garden and it feels like it’s on top of us. I will ask him to show us the footage later, hopefully he won’t have an issue if it’s not on our property

[snowbelle]

We have CCTV around our house all of which complied with the law and does not cover any public spaces or neighbours .
When we installed it over our back gate our neighbour did ask what it covered and we were happy to explain it just covered our back gate only l we installed this as we used to have a lot of deliveries and one company wrecked our back gate by forcing a delivery through we also find it helpful as a deterrent
We have a ring doorbell and cameras over our back garden , none of which intrude over neighbors.
I would approach your neighbour with your concerns as he cannot have a camera overlooking your property.

[snowbelle]

Originally Posted by snowbelle

We have CCTV around our house all of which complied with the law and does not cover any public spaces or neighbours .
When we installed it over our back gate our neighbour did ask what it covered and we were happy to explain it just covered our back gate only l we installed this as we used to have a lot of deliveries and one company wrecked our back gate by forcing a delivery through we also find it helpful as a deterrent
We have a ring doorbell and cameras over our back garden , none of which intrude over neighbors.
I would approach your neighbour with your concerns as he cannot have a camera overlooking your property.

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* edited to add , I don’t believe you can ask to see the footage but someone else may have further advice

[Chilli-pepper]

Originally Posted by snowbelle

* edited to add , I don’t believe you can ask to see the footage but someone else may have further advice

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If it does capture footage/images of you then yes you do have the right to see it, and also request it to be deleted.

just to add: If there is footage of you and your home/garden/family etc it will come under the Data protection act to which have the right to access and ask to be deleted.